My Prince has come, so now what
by scoob2222
Summary: Sequel to CinderChloe It seems like Chloe O'Brian finally got her fairytale ending with Jack, so what's the problem now? Better then the summary I promise.


She made quite a sight. Her high heels had been long ago lost under her desk and replaced with a pair of sneakers that she luckily had left at CTU. However, there had been no time to change so she was still clad in the short, form fitting black dress that had nearly killed him earlier this evening. Her hair was now a mess, held back in a tangle with a rubber band, her eyes were closed, and he thought she might be the best thing he'd ever seen in his life.

"Hey," he whispered, bending down next to her chair.

"Hmm," was the answer, sleepy and quiet, "Jack?"

"Yeah, come on, it's time to go home."

"Tired," she whispered and let her head roll onto his shoulder.

"I know, but you'll sleep much better in a bed, come on." He put his arm around her waist to help her up, but suddenly she snapped up, wide awake, "Jack?" she asked again.

"Still me. Come on, time to go home and sleep."

"What time is it?"

"2 am."

She groaned as he grabbed her small purse and headed for the door. "So much for our romantic night out."

"Yeah, well we'll try again tomorrow."

By now they were almost to his car and Chloe was wide awake, and cranky, and the lack of sleep and irritation allowed her to say things she usually kept to herself. "We say that every time and it never happens. If I didn't know better I'd think the fates were plotting to keep us from ever having sex." She flushed as soon as the words were out and ducked into his car with an angry huff.

Jack couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was. He got in the car and turned towards her, she studiously ignored him, as she always did when she was embarrassed or unsure.

"Chloe, I know it's been kind of crazy lately, but I promise that we will find a time to be together. I just really want it to be perfect."

"Well I just really want to be with you, perfect or not," Chloe spat out at him. She seemed to realize the harshness of her words a moment later, "I'm sorry, I just meant, we keep waiting for the perfect moment, for the perfect romantic moment and I just I don't need any of it. And all this waiting it's just...it's making me.."

"Making you what?"

"I just, it's making me wonder if maybe there's another reason you keep putting the brakes on? I mean we've been together for almost two months now and I've been ready since that first night. Maybe you aren't sure?"

"Chloe, of course I'm sure. All I want is to be with you."

"Then what's the problem," her voice sounded so small and unsure he wanted nothing more than to gather her close to him. So he did that, dragging her slight body over the console between them and into his lap, kissing her fiercely. As he let her catch her breath he berated himself. He had been so preoccupied with making everything romantic and perfect that he had stopped paying attention to Chloe and what she needed. Obvisouly her insecurities must have been building for a while and tonight she could not hold it in any longer. And now he needed to set things right.

"I never meant to make you think that I didn't want you, because nothing could be farther from the truth. I've wanted you for so long I can't remember when I didn't, I just, I didn't want to mess this up. You've seen my relationships since Terri died. Both of them were a mess."

"Yeah, well my love life hasn't exactly been perfect. I mean I've only had two real relationships in my life and both have ended pretty badly. And well, you saw how things worked out with Spencer."

"Spencer is a horse's ass."

"True, but still, not exactly a great track record, plus, I'm…"

"What"

She took a deep breath, "I'm not exactly like the other women you go out with. I'm an anti-social, sarcastic, easily irritated computer geek."

"Chloe, that's what I love about you. Did you think I was comparing you to someone else?"

"No, just, I don't know. I'm just not used to someone like you being interested in me. You know, you're sweet and you treat me good and you're smart and you never act like I'm…" she paused, sighed and frowned, "you know weird."

"That's cause I don't think you're weird. Listen, Chloe, I don't want you to change or to try and fit into a mold of what you think I want. All I want, all I need is you, every single sarcastic, anti-social, irritated inch of you."

Chloe smiled, "Well, I want the same thing. I just want you to be yourself I don't want you to feel like you have to be perfect all the time or that you suddenly need to protect me from yourself. We've always been honest with each other and I really don't want that to stop."

"You know I think the problem here is that we are trying to hard. We're trying so hard to be what we think we should that we stopped being us. So let's just go back to being Jack and Chloe."

"That's sounds good. But, uh, are the old Jack and Chloe going to be having sex anytime soon?"

Jack laughed and held Chloe closer to his chest. He kissed her, deeply and decided that now was the perfect time, "I can get us home in under ten minutes if I speed."

Chloe jumped back into her own seat and buckled up, "Well then, step on it."


End file.
